How to hire a senior instructor

How to hire a senior instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior instructor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior instructor do?

Post a senior instructor job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior instructor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior instructor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect senior instructor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior instructors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Instructor	Training and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.	$16-46
   Trainer	A trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more	$14-35
   Certified Trainer	A certified trainer is responsible for creating a customized fitness program for clients to improve their body functions, including their cardiovascular stability, balance, flexibility, and overall wellness for a healthy lifestyle. Certified trainers determine the clients' fitness goals, monitoring the clients' progress, and adjusting training plans as needed... Show more	$14-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Curriculum Development
   • ELearning
   • Training Programs
   • Course Content
   • Training Materials
   • Instructional Techniques
   • Technical Training
   • CPR
   • Training Courses
   • Syllabus
   • Course Materials
   • Logistics
   • Blended Learning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and mentore over 100 mid-career and senior DoD investigators in multiple courses.
   • Manage accession process to prepare commission lieutenants for transfer to their gaining units.
   • Evaluate AIT student efforts in terms of adhering to standards of performance accomplish.
   • Lead a team of 55 soldiers while delivering classroom instruction on tactical radios and COMSEC equipment.
   • Develop training syllabus and schedules to accomplish standards base objectives.
   • Manage IEP findings conduct classroom observations for techniques and developmental progression.

   More senior instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the senior instructor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior instructor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a senior instructor in Florida may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior instructor. Additionally, a senior instructor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average senior instructor salary

   $58,892yearly

   $28.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior instructor salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average senior instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$81,024	$39
   2	Massachusetts	$69,412	$33
   3	Maryland	$69,412	$33
   4	Illinois	$65,914	$32
   5	Washington	$62,792	$30
   6	Virginia	$61,573	$30
   7	Colorado	$60,971	$29
   8	Texas	$58,903	$28
   9	Minnesota	$58,759	$28
   10	Georgia	$58,150	$28
   11	Michigan	$58,101	$28
   12	North Carolina	$58,066	$28
   13	Kentucky	$57,704	$28
   14	California	$56,045	$27
   15	Oregon	$53,353	$26
   16	Ohio	$51,496	$25
   17	Nevada	$47,006	$23
   18	Idaho	$44,001	$21

   Average senior instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of Rochester	$129,939	$62.47	49
   2	Sysmex	$120,172	$57.77	2
   3	National Grid plc	$119,598	$57.50	5
   4	Tableau	$114,720	$55.15
   5	UMiami Health System	$111,180	$53.45
   6	NetSuite	$107,147	$51.51
   7	Constellation Energy Partners	$106,750	$51.32	9
   8	Harvard University	$106,262	$51.09
   9	TIBCO Software	$100,433	$48.29
   10	Booz Allen Hamilton	$96,509	$46.40	10
   11	Parsons	$95,945	$46.13	1
   12	Jacobs Engineering Group	$92,622	$44.53
   13	Xcel Energy	$91,243	$43.87	1
   14	Case Western Reserve University	$86,970	$41.81	1
   15	University of Washington	$86,906	$41.78	7
   16	Salesforce	$84,465	$40.61
   17	Aegis Therapies	$79,981	$38.45	7
   18	Eastern Oregon University	$78,754	$37.86
   19	Johnson Controls	$78,568	$37.77	2
   20	Seattle University	$75,592	$36.34	1

4. Writing a senior instructor job description

   A job description for a senior instructor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a senior instructor job description:

   Senior instructor job description example

   We are seeking an Senior Instructor to work with the best and brightest people around the country in creating innovative solutions for our customers. You will work in a fast-paced and diverse environment, enjoy flexible work arrangements, and will have a management team that encourages your career development and growth. You will conduct virtual and on-site courses relevant to Federal Real Estate / Contract Management / Finance / Program Management / Acquisition Management. Course delivery typically includes a variety of formats including lecturing, conducting hands on training, and/or facilitating training exercises. Courses are typically technical in nature and are customer focused. May also consult with training developers on training content and delivery methods, however primarily focus is on course delivery. Keeps abreast of latest instruction methods and techniques, serving as a subject matter expert in the area in which instruction is being provided.
   Primary Responsibilities
   
   • Conduct virtual and on-site courses relevant to the area of training • Review and analyze training materials and recommend changes based on type of instruction needed • Tailor instruction based on the level of knowledge of the students • Interact with task lead, subject matter expert(s), instructional systems designers, multimedia developers, and training coordinator in designing and implementing a total training package • Perform task and skill analysis of training requirements based on abilities and training needs of target audience• Contribute to regular instructor meetings in reviewing lessons learned, implementing required updates, and developing new trainers • Work with instructional systems designers in converting static (ILT) content to computer-based training, as directed
   Basic Qualifications
   
   • BA degree and 12+ years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10+ years of prior relevant experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree.• Project Management Professional (PMP) credential• Demonstrated experience facilitating small and large group training activities to achieve desired training outcomes in both resident and virtual/online classroom environments.• Demonstrated ability to produce presentations and other products suitable for senior level personnel in the federal government• Functional knowledge of real property processes, procedures, and documentation• Experience in the federal government, preferably with the FAA• Excellent customer interaction skills• Excellent written and verbal communication skills• Conversant in adult learning theory• Progressive knowledge of the training product development and delivery cycle• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   • Mastery of adult learning principles and applications, including course delivery and facilitation• Strong working knowledge of learning assessment and feedback methodologies• Demonstrable experience with selecting and implementing appropriate teaching methods, to include lecture/discussion, role-playing, case study reviews, simulations, and small group learning
   
   Pay Range:
   Pay Range $101,400.00 - $156,000.00 - $210,600.00
   
   The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find senior instructors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any senior instructors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level senior instructors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit senior instructor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior instructors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior instructor

   Once you've found the senior instructor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior instructor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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